


1 AM on a Wednesday

by Solemnly_Swear (Fitzsimmonsx)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Arthur has a crush, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-13 11:43:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18940228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fitzsimmonsx/pseuds/Solemnly_Swear
Summary: They meet at 1 AM on a Wednesday.(aka AU where Arthur and Merlin are neighbors and Arthur is a mess with a crush)





	1 AM on a Wednesday

The door swings opens so quickly that Arthur is sure he would have been clipped on the side of the head if not for his superior (although admittedly compromised at the moment) reflexes. As is, however, he takes a moment to reorient himself and blinks at the man standing in the doorway.

Arthur has always thought that there’s something striking about the man’s appearance. Individually, his features are strange if not a bit ridiculous: his ears are comically large, his hair is disordered, his frame is gangly and awkward. Put all of it together, though, and there’s something that tends to make Arthur feel as if he’s been tackled.

 _Beautiful_ , he thinks. But then the expression on the man becomes guarded and his knuckles on the door handle turn white and Arthur realizes he’s said it out loud.

“Damn it,” he mutters, followed by a louder “I meant the paint color.”

Something in the lines of the man’s shoulders relaxes a little and so does his grip on the door handle. “Which one?” he says, grinning.

Now that Arthur looks closer, he’s right. The man is covered in splotches of paint, from dark red to bluish white. Arthur winces a little at the sight of so much paint on a white t-shirt, and the man laughs. “It’s my painting shirt, don’t worry. It’s supposed to look like this. Well-“

Arthur follows his gaze down to his jeans, the left leg of which is almost entirely green.

“Yeah, that was an accident. But the rest of it is pretty normal. I’m an artist, but also a bit of a klutz, so sometimes it gets a bit messy.”

Arthur nods- he knows full well about the man being a klutz.Then everything begins to spin a little around him and he remembers to stick to just standing as still as he can.

“So,” the man says, “what brings you here?”

“I live downstairs,” Arthur says, pointing vaguely in the direction of his own flat. “I must have come to the wrong floor.” He feels around in his pocket for his keys, but they’re not there. Fuck, just what he needs. He clenches his jaw and lets out a breath slowly, trying his hardest not to look at the man still in the doorway.

(Of all the ways to meet him, it has to be this. He’s such an idiot.)

“If you haven’t noticed, I’m a bit drunk,” he says shortly, “I’m sorry for interrupting your evening. I’ll be going now.”

He heads off towards the lift, grimacing to himself, but stops when he hears the man’s voice. He turns.

“What?”

“Morning,” the man says. “It’s morning, actually. 1 AM.”

Arthur groans. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I-“

“Why don’t you come inside?”

Arthur blinks. Takes a breath. Blinks again. “Come inside?”

The man looks a bit flustered- his cheeks are flushed and he’s picking at the paint on his jeans. “Yeah, come inside. You seem to be in a bit of a situation. I wouldn’t mind you staying here and sobering up before you figure it out.”

“I couldn’t-“

“Yes, you can,” the man says, smiling easily now. “Oh, my name’s Merlin, by the way. What’s yours?”

Merlin, Arthur thinks to himself. Of course it’s Merlin.

“Arthur,” he says.

“Well, hello, Arthur. Nice to meet you.”

Merlin gestures for Arthur to follow him inside, so Arthur does. The door shuts behind him with a neat click and Arthur marvels at how much he hates himself. He’s imagined this before, countless times. Introducing himself, seeing Merlin smile, maybe even seeing the inside of his flat. But now it’s all happening and it’s all wrong- Arthur’s mind is too fuzzy to take in any details and it’s 1 AM and Merlin must think Arthur is an absolute prat.

What was he thinking, getting himself into this? Arthur can answer that easily, though: he wasn’t. Uther disappointed him (what a surprise!) and Arthur reacted the way he always did. And now he’s making a complete arse of himself in front of Merlin, who seems like a perfectly nice person and- well, shite, Arthur’s had a crush on him for months. Ever since Merlin first moved in. Not that that’s worth anything now.

“Nice place,” Arthur offers, looking anywhere but at Merlin.

“Thanks.” Then, “Water?”

Merlin’s holding out a glass, so Arthur takes it and swallows a little.

“You’re going to need to finish that if you don’t want a hangover,” Merlin says, hovering over by the counter.

“I’d deserve it,” Arthur says bitterly, but he finishes the rest of the water and sets the glass down on the counter.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why-“

“Am I making such bad decisions at 1 AM on a Wednesday?”

Merlin nods sheepishly, taking the glass and filling it up again. He pulls out a chair and sinks into it, gesturing for Arthur to do the same.

Arthur gingerly pulls out a chair and sits. “No particular reason,” he says sharply. Then, “Sorry. It’s just- it’s the same as it always is. I keep expecting someone to change, but they never do.” He clears his throat. “What was keeping you up?”

To his surprise, Merlin’s cheeks flush a little and he fidgets with his hands. “It’s ridiculous,” he says abruptly.

Arthur offers a weary smile. “Try me. There’s no way you can outdo me.”

Merlin grins and Arthur feels his breath catch again, just for a moment.

“I have this crush,” Merlin says. Arthur is surprised by the intensity of the disappointment he feels, but he forces himself to nod. Listening to Merlin’s romantic troubles is the least he can do for barging into his flat so early in the morning.

“It’s- completely unwarranted. There’s no basis for it. I just have this feeling that we could be really good together.”

“How do you know him? Sorry, or her. Them.” Arthur groans to himself. Is it possible to be more obvious? “You know what, I really think I should be going now. Thank you for the water and I’m sorry about-“

“He lives in the building,” Merlin says.

Arthur just stops for a moment, then rubs his temple. He can feel a headache coming on. Fuck it, he’s already messed up the first impression. Might as well trash it, if only to get out of here.

“Did you not hear me? I have to go now. I _really_ don’t want to hear about-“

“In the flat below-“

“Your crush.” Then Arthur processes Merlin’s words and turns slowly.

“The flat below?” He asks, voice strained.

“Yes, the flat below,” Merlin says cautiously. When Arthur just stands there, his face sort of crumples and he runs a hand through his hair. “... or not. I really shouldn’t be allowed to have crushes, I can’t believe I just-“

Arthur pulls Merlin against him, one hand on his waist and one in that unbearably messy hair. Merlin’s lips move against his, his own hand pressing into Arthur’s hair, and Arthur grins against his lips.

Arthur pulls back, ignoring Merlin’s noises of protest, and regards him solemnly. “Should we try again?” He takes a breath. “Hi, my name’s Arthur. I have a crush on you.”

Merlin grins. “Nice to meet you, Arthur. My name’s Merlin. I have a crush on you, too.”

Then he pulls Arthur back towards him and there’s no more talking for quite a while.

 


End file.
